Battle of the Flowers

Learn About the Origins of the Battle of Flowers Parade

The Battle of Flowers parade is one of the biggest highlights of Fiesta, but it comes from humble beginnings. Learn more about its origins here.

If you live in Texas, you know all about the oldest Fiesta celebrated every April in San Antonio. Maybe you’ve joined the millions of other people who enjoy the parades and shatter colorful cascarones. You might call them confetti-filled eggshells.

This historical procession is the heart and soul of San Antonio. But, do you know how the Battle of Flowers Parade at Fiesta de San Antonio began?

How the Battle of Flowers Parade Began

The first Battle of the Flowers Parade took place on April 21, 1891, when a group of upper class, Anglo women decorated their carriages and horses. They rode them in front of the Alamo and threw cherry blossoms at one another.

The first fun-filled flower fight evolved into the Battle of Flowers Parade. The ladies organized the parade to honor those who fought and died at the Alamo. It’s also an honorary celebration of the Battle of San Jacinto.

Ellen Maury Slayden, the wife of Congressman James L. Slayden came up with the idea for the parade. When she made a visit to Spain, she saw a similar parade.

She talked it over with several women from San Antonio, and they formed the Battle of Flowers Parade Committee. They shared their plans with the local leaders who supported the parade idea.

About the Battles at the Alamo and San Jacinto

The battle at the Alamo happened before dawn on March 6, 1836. General Antonio de Santa Anna led columns of Mexican soldiers to the Alamo. They stormed the walls and overtook the fort. Over 180 Texas defenders were killed by sunrise.

In seven weeks, the Texans formed an army to avenge their lost Alamo brothers. They met Santa Anna and his army at San Jacinto. They defeated the Mexican army, winning Texas independence.

This is why the Daughters of the Republic of Texas began their preservation efforts with the Battle of Flowers Parade. They felt it was their duty to honor the heroes who fought for Texas.

First Battle of Flowers Parade

The ladies got down to business, decorating carriages and floats with fresh flowers. What made this parade so unique was when the ladies divided the carriages into two groups. Each of the groups started toward the Alamo from different directions.

As the carriages passed each other, each group threw flowers at the other. By the fourth annual parade, it turned into a week-long festival.

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King and Queen of the Festival

What’s a festival without a king and queen? So, the tradition of choosing the Queen of the Order of the Alamo started in 1896. The following year, a king was chosen.

The people loved the tradition and soon after a full royal court formed. The court included a princess and duchesses. This tradition still takes place today featuring the queen and king, along with 12 local duchesses and 12 chosen from out of town.

In 1926 and 1926 naming a king stopped, but the queen and her court never faltered.

Order of Alamo Formed

John Carrington, Secretary of the Business Men’s Club replaced the Battle of Flowers Association in 1909. He formed a new committee called Order of the Alamo. This new organization made up of prominent men of San Antonio took over the selection of the Royal Court of the parade.

They chose the queen and her royal court from all over Texas. Carrington also decided to name a king again in 1927.

He formed the San Antonio Cavaliers. Carrington succeeded in returning the king to the court. The selected kings were businessmen, such as bankers, lawyers and shop owners.

By 1915, the Battle of Flowers Parade in San Antonio grew so much, they started decorating the floats and carriages with artificial flowers.

What Do the Fiesta Medals Mean?

Colorful, shimmering fiesta medals date back to 1946. The Texas Cavaliers had small coins made as gifts to bring to children in the hospital. They called them ‘king’s coins.’

Joske’s department store created cardboard holders for the coins in 1961. The holders also had a hole in the top where the Cavaliers could insert a ribbon. This was so they could hang the coins around their necks.

In 1971, many Fiesta organizations started making fiesta medals. The medals didn’t become popular until Lieutenant Colonel Childers came up with the idea of making Fiesta-themed medals.

Now, people collect hundreds of these colorful medals, wearing them to the Fiesta. Some people wear so many, they’re weighed down by the jingling Fiesta medals. Every year, medal collectors buy, sell and trade their medals, always on the lookout for a rare find.

Other Events Added to the Fiesta

The Fiesta continued to grow through the years as other events were added to the schedule. In 1925, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas began a new tradition that’s still observed today.

They make the Pilgrimage to the Alamo. Participants include schools, patriotic organizations, and the military. They all march to the Alamo. When they go inside, they read the names of all the heroes who fought at the Battle of the Alamo.

Other events added to the Fiesta were carnivals, balls, and coronation ceremonies.

Night of Old San Antonio

As the crowds continued partying, the San Antonio Conservation Society started hosting, ‘Night in Old San Antonio.’ It’s still celebrated today for four consecutive nights. It began as a recreation of early San Antonio life.

People wear authentic costumes, sombreros, and paper flower coronas. Today, it’s a magical night of food, song, and dance on the south bank of the San Antonio River.

Officially Named the Fiesta San Antonio

Every year more revelers came to the week-long celebration, so the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce made it official in 1959. They named the Battle of Flowers celebration, the Fiesta San Antonio.

It became such a popular event, they formed the Fiesta San Antonio Commission to organize the week’s events.

Battle of Flowers Parade Today

Today, the ladies of the Battle of Flowers Association wear yellow hats and dresses to the parade they founded. They still promote the history and patriotism of San Antonio, Texas.

The parade is the spirit of the Fiesta San Antonio. It now has over 40 flower-decorated floats and horse-drawn carriages. The military, college and high school bands also take part.

It’s now an 11-day celebration with over 75,000 volunteers and over 100 events. The Battle of Flowers Parade and Fiesta celebrates not only the heroes of the Alamo and San Jacinta but all the veterans who have made sacrifices ever since.

This year’s parade takes place on April 26, 2019. The Battle of Flowers Parade route starts at the corner of E. Grayson and Broadway. The parade finishes at the corner of W. Martin and Broadway.

Get your sombrero and your fiesta medals for the 128th Battle of Flowers Parade. Contact us for our early bird specials so you can add to your fiesta-medal collection. Get ready to party.

Fiesta is a celebration that has a much deeper meaning than most of us understand. Learn all about this time-honored tradition here.

Wouldn’t learning be a lot more fun if it was a party?

When it comes to Fiesta, you’re doing more than having a great time. You’re actually learning about the culture and diversity of the entire region?

Are you wondering “what is Fiesta” and “what can I learn from it?” Keep reading to discover the answers! Understand why it’s a party with a purpose!

What Is Fiesta?

“Fiesta” is the shortened name of “Fiesta San Antonio.” As the name implies, this is a major festival that is held in San Antonio each year.

The festival has an extreme impact on the local economy. Over three million people help the city to rake in over $340 million each year during Fiesta.

The Fiesta celebration is older than many people think, with a tradition stretching back to 1891. And it has its roots in one of the most iconic locations in Texas: the Alamo.

Remember the Alamo

Even in 1890, those who died at the Alamo had become legends throughout Texas. That’s why people in 1891 decided to honor those who had fought at both the Alamo and the Battle of San Jacinto.

They named this initial event The Battle of the Flowers. It was basically a huge parade designed to honor the heroes of the Alamo with floats, flowers, and horse-drawn carriages.

This first celebration was planned entirely by the women of the area, but it would soon become a regular celebration put together by a mixture of local citizens.

Birth of a Tradition

To put it mildly, the Battle of the Flowers was a smash success. And this led to repeat events in subsequent years, with most of them occurring on or around April 21st.

These events would help expand what we would eventually know as the Fiesta celebration. Pretty soon, added events included everything from children’s parties to ornate dances. And, of course, plenty of chances for local artists to show off their skills.

This was also the beginning of the Fiesta royalty tradition. This involved various participants being symbolically crowned as Fiesta royalty, and that tradition continues to this very day.

The Alamo Reborn

One example of the chosen royalty includes the queen and her court (typically over two dozen people). Soon, there was a need for an official organization to help with crowning these royal women.

That’s where John Carrington comes in. He helped found the Order of the Alamo, and this organization meets once per year to determine the new queen and her court.

The Order of the Alamo began in 1909 and has proven highly influential over the years. And the organization serves as a reminder of just how seriously the local area takes everything that has anything to do with Fiesta.

A “Cavalier” Attitude

The Fiesta royalty was not limited to the queen and her court. There was also a need to select a corresponding king of the celebration.

Early kings typically had names meant to evoke local crops (such as “King Cotton”) or names that were simply other words spelled backwards (such as “King Omala” and “King Selamat”). Eventually, though, this process got a little more serious.

John Carrington intervened once again and helped create the organization known as the Texas Cavaliers. They were charged with selecting the king of Fiesta each year.

In this way, there was a kind of balance: no one organization is responsible for selecting all of the Fiesta royalty!

Pilgrimages and Parades

In many ways, the Alamo was the beginning of the entire Fiesta celebration. It was only a matter of time before the celebration eventually returned to the Alamo in a powerful way.

Starting in 1925, the Daughters of the Republic of Texas began a pilgrimage to the Alamo that corresponded with Fiesta. However, the mood of this pilgrimage and the mood of Fiesta are actually quite different.

While Fiesta has a wild party atmosphere, the pilgrimage is a silent and solemn walk to the Alamo. The only sound typically comes from an announcer reading the names of the Heroes of the Alamo as well as from the memorial service that concludes the pilgrimage.

On a happier note, though, the royalty of Fiesta soon saw fit to expand the scope of their celebration. King Antonio kicked off a River Parade tradition that continues to this day, serving as a great symbol for an event that was getting too big to be contained to the streets.

There are other major parade events that include the Fiesta Flambeau parade. This event includes Boy Scouts bearing flares and riding on floats that light up.

All in all, these various parades are a fitting continuation of an event that started out so many years ago with one giant parade.

A Tale of Two Kings

As much as locals love the tradition of Fiesta royalty, there is undeniable classism that hovers over it. The rich and powerful select rich and powerful colleagues to serve as symbolic royalty over local citizens.

Perhaps this is why the citizens started selecting royalty of their very own. Beginning in 1947, the citizens selected a King El Rey Feo.

This royalty is a literal man of the people, and he became popular enough to become an official Fiesta tradition back in 1980. To further cement the “man of the people” status, anyone vying for this title must help to raise money for college scholarships that support locals.

To outsiders, it may seem like these two kings were destined to clash with one another. After all, what could be a different outcome when it comes to nobility vs. peasantry?

Fortunately, the exact opposite happened. Having two kings showed that everyone had an equal voice in the Fiesta celebration, and the kings now only “compete” by seeing who can perform more public service than the other!

The Bottom Line

Now you know the answer to “what is Fiesta.” But do you know how you’ll remember this amazing event?

At Fiesta Medal, we specialize in creating one-of-a-kind medals to commemorate each celebration. To see what we can do for you and your entire group, check out our Fiesta Medal Specials today!

If you asked them to name famous events, most people would
name things like the Kentucky Derby. They probably wouldn’t mention
Fiesta San Antonio, although this celebration is over 125 years old.

You might be asking, “What is Fiesta?” It’s San Antonio’s oldest and
largest parade, started in 1891 by a group of local women. Since then,
the parade has expanded into a week-long carnival known as Fiesta.

This guide will introduce you to Fiesta week, its history, and how it impacts the city of San Antonio.

The Battle of Flowers

Fiesta San Antonio history starts with a one-day event in 1891. The inaugural parade
was held to honor the battles of the Alamo and San Jacinto. Local women
decorated bicycles and baby buggies, then threw flowers at each other.

This is why it has the name “Battle of Flowers.” From the very start, women alone organized the parade. That’s still true today.

The festival expanded, adding more events held over the course of a
week. In 1895, the Battle of Flowers Parade Association began crowning a
carnival queen. In 1909, the Fiesta “royalty” expanded to include a
princess and 24 duchesses.

Fiesta Week Today

Fiesta is San Antonio’s largest and oldest celebration. It celebrated
its 125th anniversary in 2016. It’s still going strong, attracting
millions of visitors annually.

Fiesta San Antonio events are held in San Antonio and neighboring
areas. Participating cities include Alamo Heights, Balcones Heights,
Windcrest, and Boerne.

A block party takes place over four evenings. There’s also a Charreria event, which showcases equestrian talent.

Fiesta week San Antonio occurs during the last two weeks of April every year.

Impacts on the City

San Antonio Fiesta week is the city’s largest festival, so it’s easy to see why people make a big deal about it.

UTSA’s Center for Community and Business Research reports Fiesta makes more than $340 million. The local government collects over $3 million in sales tax during the festival alone.

There are approximately 100 member organizations that take part in
the festival. Volunteers are integral to the festival, but Fiesta has
also created almost 3,500 jobs.

Fiesta week has a significant tourist impact. It brings around 3
million people out to celebrate in the streets of San Antonio each year.

Plan Your Fiesta Trip

If you’ve ever been in San Antonio during Fiesta week, you know all about the magic of this amazing celebration.

If you haven’t gone yet, there’s no better time to start planning a
trip. Visit during the last two weeks of April, and you can take part in
balls, parades, and so much more. You may even have the chance to get a
Fiesta medal from the local festival royalty.

What are you waiting for? Start planning your Fiesta trip by checking out our guides to events, food, and fun! And don’t forget to get your fiesta medals!